Woman Gets Top Beis Din Job

For the first time, a woman was appointed judicial assistant in a Rabbinate beis din. Shira Ben-Eli’s new post is at a decision-making level in the beis din system at a decision-making level.

Women were formerly blocked from the job as it required semicha or qualification as a dayan, but these conditions were lifted after threats of intervention by labor courts.

Two months ago, the Deputy Attorney General ordered for women to be appointed to the body that elects members of the Chief Rabbinical Council. A month before that, attorney Rachel Shakarji became the first woman supervisor of religious properties earmarked for public charitable purposes.

Without discussing halachic allowableness of women beis din assistants, it was a major political mistake to succumb to the Judenrat courts pressure. It will embolden them to demand more; soon the Judenrat will demand reform clergy and mulahs on the beis din.